I wasn't expecting Let It Go to be on your list because I already knew your thoughts about it, but the remix version makes sense. Just listened to it and I'm glad that they did not butcher it. Cool remix.
Middle was a nice change of pace for DJ snake, considering his usual upbeat productions - where he actually excels at.
Schoolboy Q + Kanye is one of those unusual collaborations, but they still made it work.
It was a given that Zayn Malik would opt to portray a more sexual persona in his post-One Direction career, so neither the lyrical content of PILLOWTALK nor the capitalization of Zayn's name in the title came as a surprise. But the track is more than just a former teenage boy finally letting hormonal urges express themselves. It carries with it a smooth backing track which creates a dark, industrial atmosphere inspired equally by mainstream pop and contemporary R&B. His vocals are powerful and clear, though irritatingly melodramatic, and the chorus is vivid and unexpectedly catchy. Despite these positives, the whole song has always felt meticulously planned out to me, more like a strategic venture than a genuine creation-- disappointing, considering that the purpose of his departure from 1D was to pursue the authenticity it sorely lacks.
This position in 2015: Ed Sheeran - Photograph This position in 2014: Ellie Goulding - Burn
This song is as cheap as the ride-sharing service it name-checks repeatedly. It's a refreshing change of pace from the all-too-common references to Lamborghinis and Porsches and Bentleys, and this song is the endearing kind of cheap rather than the cringeworthy kind. "Skrr skrr" is such a fun ad-lib to say, and Madeintyo's vaguely whimsical flow fits well with the comical lyrics. Producer K. Swisha sneaks a harp-like sound into the song, sprinkling in a bit of variety to an otherwise one-dimensional (though very catchy) effort. The song does a nice job not veering into complete meme-song territory, which wouldn't have been a difficult task at all, and it successfully achieves a welcome level of informality without feeling too dry or bare-bones.
This position in 2015: Trey Songz - Slow Motion This position in 2014: Bobby Shmurda - Hot N*gga
I can't think of a hit this year that contains more raw, unbridled pain than this song. Many others have contained strong emotions, albeit wrapped in packages of enticing production; Unsteady cuts right to the chase. Backed by haunting, evocative drums, lead singer Sam Harris's vocals are vulnerable and touching. Even though there's room for a piano in this composition, what's there is bland and adds very little to the song. The whole thing is pretty bare, and there's not much development or progression -- it just kind of slogs along, and that's a big problem. The lyrics attempt to tell a poignant story, but the listener is left with just a snapshot, so the song feels eternally incomplete. As such, it usually fails to hold my attention all the way through.
This position in 2015: Rihanna, Kanye West, & Paul McCartney - FourFiveSeconds This position in 2014: Sia - Chandelier
I love how focused this track is. From the moment the stern beat drops, the Brooklynite never takes her foot off of the gas pedal, alternating between provocative and humorous couplets, with the common theme being aggression. She doesn't distract herself, coolly delivering every line with an admirable confidence. The result is an impressively hard-hitting song that you go back to listen to because you can't quite catch everything that happened after a single spin. The production is menacing, looming over M.A like a dark cloud always about to burst, keeping a level of tension present throughout the song which she occasionally breaks with lines like "we be in these streets more than Sesame." All in all, it's a brazen, polished effort from someone almost completely unknown prior to this year.
This position in 2015: Rihanna - Bitch Better Have My Money This position in 2014: Tinashe - Pretend f/A$AP Rocky
this beat 
racially insensitive too!
